Statement as to rights to inventions made under Federally sponsored research and development: Not Applicable
1. Field of the Invention
A bunk cover assembly for mounting on the bunks of a boat trailer includes a pair of side panels which depends from a main body of the cover assembly, said side panels for abutment and attachment to the sides of the bunks. The bunk cover assembly includes an upper recessed portion to facilitate drainage and boat hull passage over the cover assembly, and a lower recessed portion that serves as a channel for draining water collected from the trailer bunks when launching or loading the boat, and further allows air to reach the bunks for faster drying thereby resisting moisture and mildew damage to the bunks.
2. Brief Description of Prior Art
The present invention concerns primarily trailers for boats which are loaded and unloaded from the rear end of the trailer. These trailers often include lengthwise extending bunks on which a boat is slid into place for travel and conversely, slid into the water during a launching operation. Further, when loaded on the trailer, the hull of the boat rests on these bunks.
The loading and launching of a boat from a trailer subjects the trailer bunks to considerable wear. Boat trailer bunks have traditionally been formed of wood or metal. In order to protect the boat from being marred by the trailer bunk during the loading or unloading operation, specifically when the boat hull is being slid over the bunks, the operator often covers the bunks with carpet or carpet-like material. It is believed that the loading and launching of a boat from trailer bunks clad with carpet material is less likely to scratch or cause damage to the boat hull than wood or metal bunks without carpet material.
A problem occurs with the traditional wood bunks since wood is generally not an ideal material under marine conditions. When exposed to moisture, wood has a tendency to warp or rot, thereby decreasing the structural integrity of the bunks. This problem is compounded for bunks clad with carpet material. Bunk-covering carpet tends to deteriorate quickly with continued use. The carpet material when exposed to moisture, and in this case when submerged in water, traps the moisture thereby exposing the wood bunks to an extended period of moisture exposure. Further, the carpet material, as a result of moisture, will dry rot through mildew. And although bunks with deteriorated coverings may still support the boat, worn spots increase sliding friction and can permanently damage boat hulls. As a result, the carpet material is replaced frequently, and the wood bunks are replaced more often.
Likewise, metal is generally not an ideal material under marine conditions. Metal bunks will corrode and rust, thereby causing an increase in sliding friction between the hull of the boat and the bunks during launching or loading. Such friction further causing permanent damage to the hull of the boat.
A further problem occurs with traditional bunks when the boat is loaded on the trailer. When loaded on the trailer, the hull of the boat rests on these bunks. As a result, air is prevented from adequately reaching the portion of the bunks where the boat hull is resting. The bunks are therefore unable to adequately dry, causing the wood bunks to remain moist, and further causing the bunks to warp and rot, thereby decreasing the structural integrity of the bunks. Further, when the boat is resting on the trailer, the bunks are unprotected from the elements including problems with moisture as discussed above, and concerns relating to sun damage.
A further problem encountered with traditional bunks is the task of aligning the center line of the boat with that of the trailer during retrieving or loading of the boat. Lateral displacement of the boat hull during such alignment is often difficult by reason of the hull being in contact with the traditional flat bunks which fail to facilitate loading of a boat hull.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,519,738 discloses a boat trailer having a tiltable bunk provided with rollers at each end of the bunk to facilitate loading and launching of a boat from a trailer.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,993,063 discloses a skid plate installed on the rearwardmost end of a trailer bunk to resist displacement by contact of a boat hull; and further includes radiused corners to avoid marring of the boat hull particularly during that time when the hull is being aligned with the trailer during loading.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,189,909 discloses a skid protection assembly that is a protective shell sized and shaped to fit an end of a trailer skid member, said assembly having a sloped wall portion extending outwardly from a main contact panel for spacing the end of the skid from a closed end wall of the assembly.
Thus, what is needed is a low-friction, trailer bunk cover assembly that protects and cooperates with existing bunks of a trailer to allow a boat to be loaded and unloaded easily, while addressing the shortcomings of the prior art trailer bunks. The cover assembly should not only protect boat hulls, but also should protect the trailer""s bunks from becoming worn down with use. The cover assembly should allow the bunks to dry quickly and should be attached in a manner that allows the cover assembly to be easily removed, if necessary. The cover assembly should also be non-corrosive and suitable for use in a marine environment.
The present invention is a trailer bunk cover assembly for protection of the trailer""s bunks. The present invention is designed to not only protect boat hulls during launching and loading from the trailer, but also to protect the trailer""s bunks from becoming worn down with use. The preferred embodiment includes a main body portion having an upper surface and a lower surface. When mounted to the trailer bunk, the lower surface of the main body portion is in contact with the top surface of the trailer bunk. When a boat is loaded on the boat trailer, the hull of the boat rests on the upper surface of the main body portion. The cover assembly further includes first and second side panels that extend downward from the main body portion. The side panels cooperate to help position the main body portion against the top surface of the trailer bunk. The side panels respectively include a plurality of apertures, and attachment screws that act as a securing means to hold the cover assembly in place on the top surface of the trailer bunk. The upper surface of the main body includes an upper recessed portion, and the lower surface of the main body portion includes a lower recessed portion. Said upper recessed portion disposed in the approximate midway of the upper surface and extends the longitudinal axis of the upper surface. Said lower recessed portion disposed in the approximate midway of the lower surface and extends the longitudinal axis of the lower surface. The upper recessed portion in parallel relationship with the lower recessed portion.